How to Disable Windows Defender Antivirus with Group Policy How to turn on Windows Defender in Windows 10 when necessary? You can repeat the above steps until in step 3 to turn on the settings. Step 3: Turn the switch from Off to On under the Real-time protection section.Īfter these operations, you will be able to install apps or perform a specific task you couldn’t before since the real-time protection is disabled. Then, click Manage settings under Virus & threat protection settings. Step 2: Choose Virus & threat protection. Step 1: Search for Windows Security from the Start bar and choose the top result to continue. You can do this when you want to perform some specific tasks. This is a way to disable Windows Defender Antivirus temporarily. How to Disable Windows Defender Antivirus with Windows Security In the following guide, we will show you 3 ways to disable Windows Defender Antivirus permanently or temporarily on Windows 10. However, when you need to set up the computer without network, perform a task which may be blocked by Windows Defender Antivirus, or need to comply with the organization security policies, you will have to disable Windows Defender Antivirus.